Britain’s economy dragged back 20 years by people working from home, blasts retail chief
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BRITAIN'S economy has been dragged back 20 years by people working from home, a retail chief has blasted. Lord Rose argued the rise in remote jobs has created a generation of employees who are not doing "proper work". The ex-Asda boss also said there is a link between flexible working and a rise in mental health struggles among young people.
![[Photo of Lord Stuart Rose.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/202-former-asda-marks-spencer-965217557.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
When asked if the UK could afford to work from home, he told the BBC One’s Panorama programme: “I don’t believe it can. “This country is in a parlous place, we have regressed in this country in terms of working practices, productivity and in terms of the country’s wellbeing, I think, by 20 years in the last four.
“We are creating a whole generation and probably a generation beyond that of people who are used to actually not doing what I call proper work. “I believe that productivity is less good if you work from home. I believe that your personal development suffers, that you’re not going to develop as well as you might if you’ve been in the workplace as long as I have.".
The businessman added: “I think lastly, there is a connection, a correlation, yet to be proven no doubt, between the current state of mental health of particularly young people and the number of people who are working away from a workplace. I think it’s bad.”.
